SLSU’s Project SUNRISE Applauded Worldwide for Innovation in Higher Education Sustainability
Busan, South Korea —— Amidst the sea breeze and modern skyline of Busan, delegates from across the globe convened for the WURI Global Conference 2025, hosted by Tongmyong University from September 24-26, 2025. In this international gathering, Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) proudly carried the Philippine flag, represented by Dr. Marie Khul C. Langub, Vice President for Student and Auxiliary Services; Dr. Ingrid M. Uy, Director for International Linkages and External Affairs; and Mr. Leo A. Omamalin, Director for the University Planning and Development Office. Together, they brought with them the university’s invaluable collaborative journey through Project SUNRISE: Illuminating a Sustainable Future.
Despite the inherent limitations of being a government-funded institution, SLSU demonstrated on this world stage that resource constraints need not hinder innovation. The presentation of Project SUNRISE captured the attention of the global audience, earning the university a remarkable 2nd place in the 2025 WURI category for “Funding for Sustainability.” This recognition was not only a triumph for the university but also a testament to the ingenuity of its people who continue to find creative ways to thrive.
At its heart, Project SUNRISE embodies the promise of a new dawn in sustainable education and community resilience. It draws strength from a culture of collaboration and foresight: training officers to develop competitive grants proposals that secure financial self-sufficiency; providing a participatory platform where institutional priorities align with regional and national development goals; and producing nearly thirty project briefs that have crystallized innovative ideas into actionable, ready-for-implementation plans. These initiatives are further grounded in solar microgrid solutions, circular resource use, and community-based planning—creating a model that uplifts not only the university but also the surrounding communities it serves.
“Project SUNRISE is more than a concept, it is a lived commitment,” Dr. Langub underscored in her presentation. Indeed, the project stands as proof that sustainability can be achieved even in environments of scarcity when vision, creativity, and collaboration converge. The reception in Busan was a powerful affirmation: applause filled the hall, while conversations spilled into the corridors, with delegates exploring possibilities for joint projects, regional pilots, data-sharing, and student exchange programs.
In Busan, Project SUNRISE shone brightly, not merely as a project, but as a symbol of what a state university in the Philippines can achieve on the global stage. Southern Leyte State University has shown that it can rise above limitations, transforming challenges into opportunities and lighting the way toward a sustainable future for higher education. For SLSU, this is not just an accolade but an invitation to continue soaring, to do more, and to inspire others that true innovation knows no bounds.
